Results 8,201-8,220 of 19,445 for speaker:Brian Cowen

Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: There is not a date for the first Bill mentioned by the Deputy and the other two will be next year, probably.

Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: There is not a date.

Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Not of which I am aware.

Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Next year.

Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I expect it will be published shortly. It was discussed recently at Cabinet.

Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: The statement last Sunday referred to the prospects of amending that Bill next year. I conclude by wishing all Members of the House a happy Christmas. I hope everyone enjoys the break. I wish the Ceann Comhairle, his staff, the Superintendent, the Captain and all the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas a very happy Christmas and I thank them for their courtesy.

European Council Meeting: Statements (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I attended the meeting of the European Council in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, 11 and 12 December. I was accompanied at the meeting by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Micheál Martin, the Minister of State with responsibility for European Union affairs, Deputy Dick Roche, and the Attorney General. The Council had an unusually heavy agenda. While the bulk of discussion centred...

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 19, inclusive, together. I travelled to Paris on 1 October to meet with President Sarkozy. During the meeting we undertook to work closely together between that date and the December European Council. President Sarkozy expressed interest in coming to Ireland again during his Presidency but this was overtaken by my visit to Paris on 5 December. I...

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I have not been turning my mind to the early appointment of the next Commissioner. On the second point, from our perspective the stimulus brought to the economy in view of our financial position has been the maintenance of our capital investment programme, which is twice the European Union average. Were it the European average, the capital programme would be approximately €4 billion next...

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Our position on the justice and home affairs area is to participate as fully as possible. There is a reserve in terms of ensuring the difference between common and civil law is respected and understood. We are legally advised there may be occasions where that full participation might not be possible as would otherwise be the case. Our demeanour in the area is to work co-operatively with...

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: As regards the issue of a Commissioner per member state, in the event of the Lisbon treaty not being ratified the Nice treaty arrangements will be operable. Those arrangements state that when the membership reaches 27 the Council will have to agree to a reduction of that number and provide a solution along the lines of the Nice treaty. Therefore one cannot guarantee a Commissioner per...

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Providing support for vulnerable workers is of central concern to the Government. The development of European policy and practice reflected in the Union's legislation has been hugely positive for workers in Europe, including Irish workers. To take but one example, this is reinforced by the adoption of the directive on temporary agency work. This measure continues the long established...

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Regarding the questions raised, this is an exercise in democracy. Concerns were raised by our people about the Lisbon treaty, which meant the treaty was rejected last May in a referendum. The Government undertook a process, as did the Oireachtas, to see in what way we could first of all identify the main concerns. As the Deputy knows, different points of view were expressed on different...

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: It is best to use the language of the conclusions to avoid confusion. That is if one is not interested in spreading confusion. The conclusions state they are legally binding guarantees.

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: I just explained that I have a clear political understanding with regard to obtaining legally binding guarantees as per the conclusions. We are in a work-in-progress phase. We will carry out the detailed work and when that is done, we will bring them before the House and explain them further. We will then hear from the European Council as to how it wishes to give legal effect to those...

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: To be clear, the Nice treaty says that when the Commission reaches a size of 27 members it must be reduced.

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: There is no need for confusion.

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Yes, let us stick to the facts. Is there sufficient generosity in Deputy Ó Caoláin to acknowledge that we have achieved, as a result of discussions and negotiations with 26 other members states, one Commissioner per member state.

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: Is that accepted?

Official Engagements. (17 Dec 2008)

Brian Cowen: No.